Human Resource Management – Lecture Review

These flashcards cover definitions, processes, characteristics, objectives, challenges, and environmental influences related to Human Resource Management, preparing students for comprehensive exam review.

What are the four main processes/components of Human Resource Management (HRM)?

Acquisition, Development, Motivation, and Maintenance of human resources.

According to Richard Branson, who should come first in an organization?

Employees come first; if you take care of employees, they will take care of the clients.

Give two examples of ‘Acquisition’ activities in HRM.

Human Resource Planning and Recruiting (internal or external).

What HRM activity follows recruiting in the acquisition process?

Selection of employees.

What is the final step of the acquisition function that helps newcomers adapt?

Employee Socialization (orientation).

Name three typical ‘Development’ activities in HRM.

Employee Training, Management Development, and Career Development.

List any four ‘Motivation’ activities handled by HRM.

Job Design, Performance Evaluation (appraisal), Reward Management, Job Evaluation, Compensation, Discipline.

Which two areas fall under the ‘Maintenance’ function of HRM?

Safety & Health and Employee–Labor Relations.

Provide a concise definition of Human Resource Management.

HRM is the process of acquiring, developing, motivating, and maintaining an organization’s human resources.

State any four characteristics of Human Resource Management.

Management of individuals, Continuous process, Universal in application, Future-oriented, Dynamic, Strategic approach, Integration of goals, Emphasis on self-control & human relations (any four).

Identify three objectives/importance points of HRM.

Effective utilization of resources, Development of human resources, Respect for human beings, Integration of goals, Employee satisfaction, Productivity, Employee discipline & morale (any three).

What term describes ensuring the right number of people are in the right place at the right time doing economically useful tasks?

Human Resource Planning (HRP).

List any four characteristics of Human Resource Planning.

Future-oriented, Continuous process, Focuses on optimum use of people, Considers both kind and number of employees, Determines demand & supply, Has long- and short-term focus, Influenced by environment, Linked to corporate plans (any four).

Outline the first two steps in the Human Resource Planning process.

Understanding organizational goals & plans, Assessing the current HR situation.

What comes after forecasting HR demand and supply in HRP?

Implementation programs (action plans).

Name the two broad categories of business environment that influence HRM.

External Environment and Internal Environment.

List any four elements of the external business environment affecting HR.

Political, Legal, Economic, Socio-cultural, Technological, Global.

Give two examples of the internal environment factors affecting HRM.

Organizational Structure and Organizational Culture (also Rules, Strategies, Design).

What are three expected outputs of an effective HRM system?

Quality of Work Life, Productivity, and Readiness for Change.

What is the purpose of feedback in the HRM system?

To reveal strengths and weaknesses for continuous improvement.

State three emerging challenges faced by HRM today.

Increasing workforce size, Higher education levels, Technological advances, Political changes, Computerized information systems, Mobility of professionals, Legal changes, Globalization, Rising employee aspirations (any three).

Which challenge of HRM is linked to worldwide competition and cross-border operations?

Globalization.

‘Mobility of professional personnel’ mainly impacts which HRM function?

Acquisition (recruiting and retaining talent).

Why is ‘integration of goals’ listed as a characteristic of HRM?

HRM seeks to align individual goals with organizational goals for mutual benefit.

How does HRM support employee self-control?

By fostering human relations, empowerment, and participative management.

Which objective of HRM relates directly to creating a respectful workplace?

Respect for human beings.

Define ‘Reward Management’.

The design and administration of pay, benefits, and recognition systems to motivate employees.

What does ‘Job Evaluation’ aim to establish?

The relative worth of jobs to ensure equitable pay structures.

Name two maintenance-related employee relations activities.

Managing Safety & Health programs and maintaining Employee-Labor (industrial) Relations.

In HRP, what is the goal of comparing demand and supply forecasts?

To identify surpluses or shortages of human resources and plan corrective actions.

Which HRM output is directly linked to employee morale and well-being?

Quality of Work Life.

What HRM characteristic emphasizes ongoing effort rather than a one-time task?

Continuous process.

How does HRM’s ‘strategic approach’ differ from traditional personnel management?

It links HR policies with long-term organizational strategy for competitive advantage.

Identify one legal environment factor that HR managers must monitor.

Labor laws, Equal employment legislation, Workplace safety regulations (any one).

Why is ‘Technological advance’ both a challenge and an opportunity for HRM?

It can improve efficiency but requires up-skilling and may reduce certain job categories.

What benefit does a computerized information system bring to HRM?

Faster, more accurate HR data processing and decision-making.